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Topic:Comparative Study
Comparative studies in equine research involve the systematic analysis of different horse breeds, management practices, or physiological responses to identify variations and similarities. These studies are instrumental in understanding how different factors influence health, performance, and behavior in horses. Common areas of comparison include genetic traits, nutritional requirements, disease resistance, and response to training. By evaluating these differences, researchers can develop targeted strategies for breeding, healthcare, and training. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that focus on the methodologies, findings, and implications of comparative studies in the context of equine science.
Reliability of three common fecal egg counting techniques for detecting strongylid and ascarid infections in horses. The detection and quantification of nematode eggs using fecal egg count techniques have an irreplaceable role in equine parasitic control. The reliability, particularly precision and accuracy, of individual techniques have been described only for strongylid infections. The aim of this study was to compare three fecal egg count techniques used for the detection of the two most common equine nematode infections: strongylid and ascarid. The Simple McMaster, Concentration McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC techniques were tested on spiked fecal samples with various levels of egg concentration (50, 100, 200,...
Horses prefer to solicit a person who previously observed a food-hiding process to access this food: A possible indication of attentional state attribution. Inferring what others witnessed provides important benefits in social contexts, but evidence remains scarce in nonhuman animals. We investigated this ability in domestic horses by testing whether they could discriminate between two experimenters who differed in what they previously witnessed and decide whom to solicit when confronted with an unreachable food source based on that information. First, horses saw food being hidden in a closed bucket (impossible for them to open) in the presence of two experimenters who behaved identically but differed in their attention to the baiting process (the...
Determining factors and interspecific modeling for serum amyloid a concentrations in working horses, donkeys, and mules. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein and α-globulin that is produced in the liver in response to inflammatory cytokines. Considered a major acute phase protein in most domestic species, its concentrations rapidly decrease after resolution of inflammation, making SAA measurement a useful tool for monitoring the course of inflammation in an individual animal. The objective of this study was to compare SAA values in working equids including mules, donkeys and horses as well as values for different diseases at various times of the year. Samples were collected from 77 equids; 13 mules, ...
Sonographic appearance of the late gestation equine fetal intestine. Variable gestation length in the mare poses a challenge for determination of fetal readiness for birth. The objectives of this study were to describe sonographic characteristics of the fetal GI tract in the late gestation mare and identify changes that occur with progressing fetal maturity. Based on these characteristics, a grading scale modeled after the existing human and canine scoring system was developed. Weekly sonographic examination of the fetus by one observer beginning 2-3 weeks prior to a calculated due date of 330 days was performed. Fetal assessment included; presence of stomach r...
Characterization of the in vitro CYP450 mediated metabolism of the polymorphic CYP2D6 probe drug codeine in horses. Despite their widespread popularity as sport and companion animals and published and anecdotal reports of vast difference in drug disposition and pharmacokinetics between individuals, studies describing equine drug metabolism are limited. It has been theorized that similar to humans, members of the CYP2D family in horses may be polymorphic in nature leading to differences in metabolism of substrates. This study aims to build on the limited current knowledge regarding P450 mediated metabolism in horses by describing the metabolism of the polymorphic CYP2D6 probe drug codeine in vitro. Codeine, ...
Different distribution of Cryptosporidium species between horses and donkeys. Few studies have been conducted on the distribution of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in equine animals. In this study, 878 stool specimens were collected during 2015-2019 from 551 donkeys and 327 horses in Shandong, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, China and screened for Cryptosporidium spp. by PCR analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene. The Cryptosporidium species presented were identified by sequence analysis of the PCR products and subtyped by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene. The infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses and donkeys were 3.1% (10/327) and 14...
Genetic diversity and relationships among native Japanese horse breeds, the Japanese Thoroughbred and horses outside of Japan using genome-wide SNP data. Eight horse breeds-Hokkaido, Kiso, Misaki, Noma, Taishu, Tokara, Miyako and Yonaguni-are native to Japan. Although Japanese native breeds are believed to have originated from ancient Mongolian horses imported from the Korean Peninsula, the phylogenetic relationships among these breeds are not well elucidated. In the present study, we compared genetic diversity among 32 international horse breeds previously evaluated by the Equine Genetic Diversity Consortium, the eight Japanese native breeds and Japanese Thoroughbreds using genome-wide SNP genotype data. The proportion of polymorphic loci and ...
Comparative Stiffness of an Equine Distal Sesamoid Bone Fracture Model Stabilized with 3.5-mm versus 4.5-mm Cortical Bone Screws in Lag Fashion. The aim of this study was to to determine the comparative stiffness following repair of an axial sagittal fracture model in equine distal sesamoid bones using either a single 3.5-mm or 4.5-mm cortical bone screw placed in lag fashion. Methods: The present study was an biomechanical study. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) stiffness value for the 4.5-mm screw-bone construct (522.49 N/mm ± 168.21) was significantly greater than the 3.5-mm screw-bone construct (408.46 N/mm ± 131.13) ( = 0.047). This represents a 28% difference in mean stiffness. Conclusions: ...
EPAS1 Gain-of-Function Mutation Contributes to High-Altitude Adaptation in Tibetan Horses. High altitude represents some of the most extreme environments worldwide. The genetic changes underlying adaptation to such environments have been recently identified in multiple animals but remain unknown in horses. Here, we sequence the complete genome of 138 domestic horses encompassing a whole altitudinal range across China to uncover the genetic basis for adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Our genome data set includes 65 lowland animals across ten Chinese native breeds, 61 horses living at least 3,300 m above sea level across seven locations along Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, as well as 7...
Application of proteomic to investigate the post-mortem tenderization rate of different horse muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of post-mortem aging on tenderness development and proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins in 3 different horse muscles. Warner-Bratzler shear force decreased during aging in all muscles, showing the lowest values in longissimus lumborum (LL) in all sampling points. Myofibril fragmentation index significantly increased in LL and semimembranosus (SM) muscles throughout aging time whereas in semitendinosus (ST) it increased after 14 days of aging. Proteomics analysis revealed the major content of intact myofibrillar proteins with high molecular wei...
Polyphasic Discrimination of Trichophyton tonsurans and T. equinum from Humans and Horses. The anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton tonsurans and its zoophilic counterpart T. equinum are phylogenetically closely related. The barcoding marker rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) shows limited variation between these two species. In the current study, we combined molecular approaches with phenotypic data to determine the species boundaries between T. tonsurans (n = 52) and T. equinum (n = 15) strains originating from humans (n = 40), horses (n = 26), and a mouse (n = 1). Culture characteristics and physiology on Trichophyton agar media 1 and 5 were evaluated....
Supplemental Antibiotics in a Commercial Extender for Stallion Semen. Commonly marketed semen extenders contain various antibiotic types and concentrations to control bacterial growth from stallion's external genitalia. An experiment was conducted to test the effects of supplemental amikacin disulfate (1,000 μg/mL) + potassium penicillin G (1,000 IU/ML: INRA-AP), or ticarcillin-clavulanate (1,000 μg/mL: INRA-TIM) in the INRA 96 extender, on sperm function and antimicrobial activity, compared with extender without supplemental antibiotics (INRA-C). In freshly extended semen (Time 30m), no differences were observed among the three treatment groups for sperm m...
Assessment of sand accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract and its excretion with stool in silesian foals. The aim of this study was to assess sand accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract and fecal sand excretion in Silesian foals using three diagnostic methods and taking into account the sex and age of the animals. Another aim of the study was to compare the three diagnostic methods. The study was carried out on 21 clinically healthy Silesian foals (10 females and 11 males) from 9-28 weeks old grazed on permanent pasture. The sand intake was assessed using a sedimentation test, abdominal ultrasonography and a quantitative evaluation of sand per 100 g of stool. In the sedimentation test, the san...
Genetic analysis of Taishu horses on and off Tsushima Island: Implications for conservation. Taishu horses are a native Japanese breed, of which only 41 individuals remained on Tsushima Island in 2018. Their genetic diversity is considered lower than that of other Japanese native horse breeds; thus, it needs to be investigated for sustainable conservation of this breed. Historical records revealed that several Taishu individuals were released areas off-Tsushima Island in mid-1980s. At present, Taishu horses living outside of Tsushima Island, hereafter referred to as Non-Tsushima Taishus (NTTs), are tagged. However, the genetic structure of the NTT individuals remains unclear, and such...
RAPID COMMUNICATION: Differential skeletal muscle mitochondrial characteristics of weanling racing-bred horses1. Responses of equine skeletal muscle characteristics to growth and training have been shown to differ between breeds. These differential responses may arise in part because muscle fiber type and mitochondrial density differ between breeds, even in untrained racing-bred horses. However, it is not known when these breed-specific differences manifest. To test the hypothesis that weanling Standardbreds (SB) and Thoroughbreds (TB) would have higher mitochondrial measures than Quarter Horses (QH), gluteus medius samples were collected from SB (mean ± SD; 6.2 ± 1.0 mo; n = 10), TB (6.1 ± 0.5 mo; n ...
Hematochemical Patterns in Follicular Fluid and Blood Stream in Cycling Mares: A Comparative Note. The aim of this study was to verify the existence of possible cross-talk between biochemical contents of follicular fluid (FF) and systemic concentrations according to the follicular development of the metabolites: glucose (GLU), lactate (LACT), cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), total bilirubin (T BIL), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CREAT); enzymatic activities: gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST); electrolytes: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), ...
Donkey pericardium compares favorably with commercial xenopericardia used in the manufacture of transcatheter heart valves. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has gained considerable acceptance in the past decade due to its lower risks than conventional open-heart surgery. However, the deformation and delamination of the leaflets during the crimping procedure have raised questions about the durability and long-term serviceability of the pericardium tissue from which the leaflets are made. The collagen architecture, wall thickness and mechanical properties of donkey pericardium were investigated to assess its suitability as an alternative material for the manufacture of heart valves. Coupons sampled from...
Landscape of Overlapping Gene Expression in the Equine Placenta. Increasing evidence suggests that overlapping genes are much more common in eukaryotic genomes than previously thought. These different-strand overlapping genes are potential sense-antisense (SAS) pairs, which might have regulatory effects on each other. In the present study, we identified the SAS loci in the equine genome using previously generated stranded, paired-end RNA sequencing data from the equine chorioallantois. We identified a total of 1261 overlapping loci. The ratio of the number of overlapping regions to chromosomal length was numerically higher on chromosome 11 followed by chrom...
The Impact of Equine-Assisted Therapy on Equine Behavioral and Physiological Responses. Equine-assisted therapies (EATs) have been widely used in the treatment of patients with mental or physical conditions. However, studies on the influence of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) on equine welfare are very recent, and the need for further research is often highlighted. The aim of this study was to investigate whether EAT creates negative or positive emotions in horses, and the influence of patients' expectations (one group of patients had physical and psychological expectations and one group of patients had only psychological expectations) on horses' emotional responses. Fifty-eight pa...
Behavioral and Physiological Differences between Working Horses and Chilean Rodeo Horses in a Handling Test. Non-invasive measures are preferred when assessing animal welfare. Differences in behavioral and physiological responses toward a stressor could be the result of the selection of horses for specific uses. Behavioral and physiological responses of working and Chilean rodeo horses subjected to a handling test were assessed. Five behaviors, number of attempts, and the time to cross a bridge were video recorded and analyzed with the Observer XT software. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), to assess the physiological response to the novel stimulus, were registered with a Polar Equine...
Comparison of various types of inert gas components on efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver in dorsally recumbent anesthetized horses. To assess effects of nitrogen and helium on efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) for improving pulmonary mechanics and oxygen exchange in anesthetized horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized twice in a randomized crossover study. Isoflurane-anesthetized horses in dorsal recumbency were ventilated with 30% oxygen and 70% nitrogen (treatment N) or heliox (30% oxygen and 70% helium; treatment H) as carrier gas. After 60 minutes, an ARM was performed. Optimal positive end-expiratory pressure was identified and maintained for 120 minutes. Throughout ...
Validation of a portable device (iSperm® ) for the assessment of stallion sperm motility and concentration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a novel, portable device (iSperm Equine for assessing concentration and motility of stallion semen). In the first experiment, semen concentration was determined by the iSperm Equine (Aidmics Biotechnology), Androvision (Minitube) and NucleoCounter SP-100™ (ChemoMetec). The total motility and progressive motility were determined by the iSperm Equine and the Androvision using the manufacturer's guidelines. Frozen/thawed semen samples (n = 33) at various dilutions were analysed for concentration and motility with the above-mentioned ...
In vitro evaluation of the knot-holding capacity and security, weight, and volume of forwarder knots tied with size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air, balanced electrolyte solution, or equine abdominal fat. To evaluate the effect of exposure to a balanced electrolyte solution (BES), or equine abdominal fat on the knot-holding capacity (KHC), relative knot security (RKS), weight, and volume of forwarder knots versus surgeon's knots. Methods: 315 knots tied and tested in vitro. Methods: United States Pharmacopeia size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air (dry [control]), equine abdominal fat (fat-exposed), or BES (BES-exposed) was used to tie forwarder knots with 2, 3, and 4 throws and surgeon's knots with 5, 6, 7, and 8 throws. A universal materials testing machine was used to test the tensile ...
Genome-Wide Homozygosity Patterns and Evidence for Selection in a Set of European and Near Eastern Horse Breeds. Intensive artificial and natural selection have shaped substantial variation among European horse breeds. Whereas most equine selection signature studies employ divergent genetic population structures in order to derive specific inter-breed targets of selection, we screened a total of 1476 horses originating from 12 breeds for the loss of genetic diversity by runs of homozygosity (ROH) utilizing a 670,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array. Overlapping homozygous regions (ROH islands) indicating signatures of selection were identified by breed and similarities/dissimilaritie...
Ex vivo investigation of the effect of the transverse arytenoid ligament on abduction of the arytenoid cartilage when performing equine laryngoplasty. To investigate the effect of the transverse arytenoid ligament (TAL) on abduction of the arytenoid cartilage when performing laryngoplasty. Modified prosthetic laryngoplasty was performed on right and left sides of 13 cadaver larynges. Increasing force was sequentially applied to the left arytenoid cartilage at 3 N intervals from 0-24 N, when the force on the right arytenoid cartilage was either 0 or 24 N, before and after TAL transection. Digital photographs of the rostral aspect of the larynx were used to determine the left arytenoid abduction angles for these given force combinations and ...
No polymorphisms in the coding region of the prion-like protein gene in Thoroughbred racehorses. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterised by the accumulation of an abnormal prion protein isoform (PrP), which is converted from the normal prion protein (PrP). Prion diseases have been reported in an extensive number of species but not in horses up to now; therefore, horses are known to be a species resistant to prion diseases. The prion-like protein gene () is closely located downstream of the prion protein gene () and the prion-like protein (Doppel) is a homologue with PrP. Previous studies have shown that an association between prion diseases and polymorphisms of t...
Transcriptome analysis reveals that fertilization with cryopreserved sperm downregulates genes relevant for early embryo development in the horse. Artificial insemination with cryopreserved spermatozoa is a major assisted reproductive technology in many species. In horses, as in humans, insemination with cryopreserved sperm is associated with lower pregnancy rates than those for fresh sperm, however, direct effects of sperm cryopreservation on the development of resulting embryos are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in gene expression between embryos resulting from fertilization with fresh or cryopreserved sperm. Embryos were obtained at 8, 10 or 12 days after ovulation from mares inseminated post-...
Allogeneic vs. autologous intra-articular mesenchymal stem cell injection within normal horses: Clinical and cytological comparisons suggest safety. Allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDMSCs) could provide multiple advantages over autologous BMDMSCs, including creating an 'off-the-shelf' treatment together with the ability to control for donor variation. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the clinical and synovial fluid response of the normal equine joint to autologous and pooled-allogeneic BMDMSCs while controlling for individual variation and joint variations in response to intra-articular injections. We hypothesised that, by controlling for individual animal and joint variation, we could identify d...
Hydroxyethyl starches in equine medicine. To review and discuss the use of hydroxyethyl starches (HES) in equine veterinary medicine, and to provide recommendations for its use. Methods: Veterinary and human peer-reviewed medical literature including scientific reviews, meta-analyses, and original research articles. Results: Increasing evidences on adverse effects after HES use and decreasing support for beneficial effects with regards to volume expansion and colloid osmotic pressure (COP) support in critically ill subjects have led to a recent guideline to limit the use of HES in critically ill people. Unassigned: The rationale for H...
Prospective randomized investigation of topical anesthesia during unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses. To compare pain-related responses in mares receiving topical or injected anesthesia of the ovarian pedicle prior to standing unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy. Methods: Prospective randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study. Methods: Fifteen healthy research mares. Methods: Mares were restrained in stocks and administered sedation. A right or left paralumbar ovariectomy was performed by using a laparoscopic portal and two instrument portals. Mares were divided into two treatment groups, and equal volumes of mepivacaine anesthesia were administered either topically (n = 8) or by injection ...
